


Whumptober 2020 - 07 - Compromised

by Celticgal1041



Series: Whumptober 2020 [7]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041
Summary: Rick let out a bitter laugh as he explained, “Eighteen months without proper food, water, medical care or sunlight tends to take it out of a person.”
Series: Whumptober 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949548
Comments: 15
Kudos: 52
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 2020 - 07 - Compromised

“Put your weight on me already,” Magnum huffed in annoyance. Higgins’ independence was normally something he appreciated but not when it was in the way of his objective. Said objective was to get inside and out of the rain, which had turned the weather unseasonably cold due to an approaching storm. The result was a downpour that reminded him more of fall in Virginia than the balmy showers for which Hawaii was known.

“I don’t need your assistance, Thomas,” Higgins gritted out, trying and failing to take a step forward on her newly sprained ankle.

“I’m as much of a feminist as the next guy, but there’s no shame in accepting a little help when you need it,” Thomas retorted, once more attempting to pull the woman’s arm around his shoulder.

They’d been out for a run on the beach, and the weather had moved in faster than they’d expected. Still, it wouldn’t have been a problem for them to get inside and miss the worst of the rain if Juliet hadn’t stepped in a rut and rolled her ankle. Her leg had immediately collapsed beneath her and it was easy to tell from her pained expression that she’d done some damage.

A quick assessment by the P.I., confirmed by the woman herself, concluded that nothing was broken, but the injured joint was swelling up quickly and would be unable to bear her weight. Thus began their argument, with Juliet insisting she was fine and Thomas attempting to help support her.

Passing a hand across his face, Magnum wiped uselessly at the rain that clouded his vision, the drops heavy and thick enough that they obscured everything but the nearest landmarks around them. “We need to get out of this storm, Higgy,” he insisted again, hoping she would finally listen to reason.

Both of them were in their running clothes, which did nothing to protect their rapidly cooling bodies from the wind and water pummeling them. Thomas gave a full body shiver he wasn’t able to stop, prompting Juliet to give him a strange look. “Fine,” she said, leaning into the former SEAL.

Their steps were awkward and slow, with Juliet biting back her sounds of pain when her sprained ankle took more weight than it wanted, but eventually they’d made it back to the main house. Magnum paused outside, stabilizing Higgins while she opened the door and then accompanying her inside. He stopped again in the entryway, not wanting to get water everywhere.

“What are you waiting for?” Juliet asked, her tone impatient with pain.

“Uh, we’re kind of soaked,” Thomas replied haltingly.

Rolling her eyes, she said, “And we can clean it up after we’re both dry. Right now, I need to sit down.”

Magnum gave a nod and helped her to the bathroom, letting her settle her weight on the closed toilet. “You, ah, need any….”

“No, I absolutely do not need any help,” Higgins quickly replied, breathing a sigh of relief once Thomas had exited, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Magnum found his way to back to the entryway, stopping there to toe off his soaked runners and pull off his socks and shirt, before swiping a couple of towels from the kitchen which he used to sop up the majority of the water still dripping from his hair and shoulders. He contemplated returning to the guest house to change, but was unwilling to leave Higgins alone in case she needed him, so he awkwardly stood around as he waited for the shower to be turned off.

When he heard the water stop, he suddenly jolted with the realization that Juliet would need dry clothes. Uncomfortably, he ducked into her bedroom, scanning the neat space for anything suitable before finally settling simply on the bathrobe he saw hanging from a hook behind the door. Moving quickly, he returned to the hallway, deciding after a few moments hesitation to simply lay the article of clothing on the floor outside the bathroom door.

Having provided Higgins with something to wear, at least temporarily, he returned to the living area, once more unsure of what to do with himself since his running shorts were still wet and his legs were covered in drying sand. “First aid kit,” he muttered to himself in irritation, unsure why it hadn’t occurred to him earlier to prepare the supplies he’d need to tend to Juliet’s injury.

“Magnum, are you still here?” a voice called from the hallway.

“Yeah, I thought I’d wrap your ankle once you’re dressed,” he replied, opening the first aid kit, and pulling out the supplies he’d need.

“Alright, I’ll be out in a few minutes,” Higgins replied, and Thomas found himself biting down on the offer to escort her to her room.

When he was done arranging the supplies, he moved into the kitchen, setting the kettle to boil and making a sandwich while he waited. By the time he caught sight of Juliet hobbling carefully down the hallway, one hand on the wall to stabilize herself, he had a plate of food and a steaming cup of tea waiting.

“Hey, let me help,” he scolded without any real heat as he swiftly moved to her side and again took up his role as human crutch. Higgins didn’t reply, but willingly allowed his help to navigate the space between the hallway and the couch, gratefully sinking into the cushions once they’d arrived.

Magnum sat down on the coffee table across from her, using one hand to lift her injured leg up to rest on his thigh. He completed another examination to ensure his earlier diagnosis was correct, and then wrapped the joint carefully to stabilize it while it healed. “Here,” he said distractedly, handing her the plate of food as he stood. “I’ll make up an ice pack for you to bring down some of the swelling.” So focused was he on his tasks that he completely missed the amused expression on his patient’s face.

Returning a few minutes later with an ice pack, he applied it to the outside of her ankle, using another piece of gauze to hold it in place. “That should come off in twenty minutes,” he said, reaching for a decorative cushion which he placed under her lower leg. Standing up, he seemed at a loss about what to do next, finally catching Higgins’ eye. “What?” he asked, feeling somewhat confused. “Did I forget something?”

“No,” Juliet replied as she leaned forward to place her empty plate on the table. Thomas intercepted her hand halfway and took the plate from her. “Magnum,” she said with a modicum of exasperation. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” he asked. “I can stick around for a while if you want…” he began, only to be interrupted.

“Thomas, I’m fine. You, on the other hand, are still wearing your wet shorts and dropping sand all over the place. Please go shower and get changed.”

For several seconds, Magnum looked like he might argue, before finally offering a dip of his head. “Alright,” he agreed. His eyes scanned the room around them until he spotted what he was looking for on the kitchen counter. Snagging it, he placed it on the cushion on Higgins’ right side. “If you need anything, call me.”

“I’m fine,” Juliet repeated again before finally nodding her agreement when Thomas refused to move.

Giving her one of his boyish grins in reply, he headed for the front door, calling over his shoulder as he went, “I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

Higgins merely rolled her eyes, certain that whatever she said would be ignored regardless.

* * *

After a day spent resting and being waited on, Juliet’s ankle was feeling much better when she awoke the next morning. Despite her marked improvement, she expected Magnum at any minute, the investigator having practically tucked her into bed before leaving last night.

When 8AM, 9AM, and then 10AM passed in relative silence, Higgins began to wonder where Thomas was, having been confident that the man would show up to make her breakfast. Although she’d been pleased at first to have been left alone, the later it got, the more she felt somewhat slighted. Knowing she had no right to feel that way, but unable to fully suppress her annoyance, she decided to call him on some pretense just to find out what he was doing.

Her first call when to voicemail, as did the second and third. Her texts also remained unanswered, and by eleven o’clock her irritation was quickly morphing into concern. While her ankle felt vastly better than the day before, it was still incredibly tender and didn’t appreciate being walked on. Despite that fact, Higgins had an odd feeling in her gut that something wasn’t quite right, and no matter how hard she tried, the feeling refused to abate.

“Bugger,” she muttered when the clock struck twelve, knowing that she could no longer sit around and wait for the investigator to appear. Making one last unanswered phone call, she pushed herself off the couch to make her way gingerly out the door and along the path to the guesthouse. Never before had she appreciated exactly how far apart the two buildings were set, and she was grateful when she finally arrived at her neighbor’s door.

“Magnum,” she called as she knocked heavily, pausing for a few moments to listen for a response from within. When none was forthcoming, she knocked once more before laying her hand on the handle to find it surprisingly unlocked.

It was possible the man had just been too tired to remember to lock it, she supposed, but her gut tingled uncomfortably again, contradicting that thought. She pushed the door open slowly, not seeing any signs of life, and then crossed the threshold to step inside.

She limped slowly through the living room and kitchen, and then resigned herself to checking Magnum’s bedroom, which was in the back of the house. “You’d better be decent,” she said under her breath as she made her way down the hall.

The bedroom door was partially open, allowing Juliet to push it gently inwards to get a better view of the inside. There, in the middle of the bed, was a man-shaped lump covered by what seemed to be an unnecessary number of blankets.

“Magnum?” she called as she stepped inside, more than a little shocked to find the man still in bed. “Magnum,” she tried again, this time increasing her volume.

The lump on the bed startled at the sound of her voice, inhaling sharply in surprise only to launch into a fit of harsh coughs. Higgins lowered herself to the former SEAL’s side, pulling at the top blanket to try and uncover the man’s head and face. “Magnum, let go,” she ordered sternly as the blanket in her hands was pulled back in an effort to remain cocooned.

The tone of her voice must have cut through the fog in Thomas’ head as he released his grip on the blanket and blinked wearily up at Higgins. An expression of confusion appeared as the P.I. registered her presence in his room. “What’re you doing here?”

“I came to check on you,” Juliet replied, her words still tinged with annoyance.

“Why?” Magnum asked.

Rolling her eyes, she answered, “Because it’s past noon, which is late, even for you.”

“Noon?” Thomas repeated, earning a nod in reply. “Your ankle!” he exclaimed as he remembered the previous day’s events. Pushing himself quickly upwards, he ended up nearly bent in half as his sudden movement pushed another round of coughs from his chest. Taking a moment to catch his breath when he’d finished, he squinted at Juliet through watery eyes to ask, “Are you alright?”

“I really think that’s a question I should be asking you at this point,” Higgins replied as she took in her friend’s appearance. Now that he was sitting up it was easy to see the two blushes of red high on his cheeks framing a pair of overly bright eyes. Sweat beaded at his temples and matted his hair to his head, but she doubted it was a result of all the blankets he’d piled onto himself.

“You’re sick,” she stated accusingly, reaching a hand forward to feel his forehead.

“Hey,” Magnum croaked out as he shifted backwards to avoid her touch, nearly unbalancing himself in the process.

Higgins gave him a look that said ‘Really, Magnum?’ but she pulled her hand back to her side. “Why are you still in bed if you’re not sick?”

“Just tired, s’all,” he replied, his eyes already beginning to drift closed even though he remained in a semi-upright position. His statement was contradicted by another coughing jag, which had him pressing a hand to his chest against the discomfort.

“That really doesn’t sound good,” Juliet remarked. “Perhaps a hot cup of tea will help.”

As she made to rise, Magnum made a lunge for her hand. “No, you shouldn’t be walking on that ankle.”

Higgins deftly pulled her hand from the man’s reach, intending to do exactly as she said, only to pause and turn back around when the P.I. said, “Don’ feel so good.” His words were reinforced by his uncontrolled slump to one side, luckily managing to remain on the bed in his new position.

“Magnum?” Juliet rushed back to the bed, her concern flaring as she noted his closed eyes and laboured breaths. She placed the back of her hand to his brow, shocked at the heat that radiated from his limp form.

Standing with difficulty, she reached for her phone, dialing Rick’s number even as she headed to the bathroom for a damp cloth. “Thomas is sick,” she said without preamble when the call was picked up, unsurprised to be told that he and TC would be right over.

* * *

“I don’t understand how he could fall ill so quickly,” Higgins said as she looked through the window into Magnum’s hospital room.

“Not your fault, Jules,” Rick replied, sipping on his fresh cup of coffee while they waited for the doctor to finish his examination. “It was probably getting caught in the storm yesterday that did it.”

Juliet huffed in disagreement. “Getting sick from being out in the rain is just an old wives’ tale,” she protested.

“Maybe,” TC replied. “But hanging out with the A/C blowing while wearing damp clothes is more than enough to push a compromised immune system over the edge any day.”

Higgins pinned the pilot with a hard stare. “What do you mean, compromised?”

Rick let out a bitter laugh as he explained, “Eighteen months without proper food, water, medical care, or sunlight tends to take it out of a person.”

“Not to mention that he wasn’t even at a hundred percent yet,” TC added.

Juliet blanched at not having considered the potential long-term side effects from what the men had endured. “But you’ve been on the island for nearly two years,” she stated, leaving her question unspoken.

“Yeah, but Tommy’s still on some medication and supplements to strengthen his immune system and probably will be for another year at least,” Rick revealed. 

“I didn’t realize….” she broke off, searching for the right words. “I mean, it never occurred to me…”

“Relax, Higgy, it’s not like TM would’ve said anything,” Calvin assured her.

“And even if he knew he was getting sick, he probably would have kept it to himself,” Rick added with a faint smile on his lips. “It’s like one of the universe’s constants.”

“The speed of light, gravity, Thomas always pretending to be fine, so he doesn’t worry us,” TC stated with amusement.

“Well he failed miserably in that regard,” Juliet muttered, her gaze once more landing on their friend’s pale form in the hospital bed.

The doctor exited Magnum’s room before their conversation could go any further. “How’s he doing?” Rick asked, his expression turning sombre.

“He’s still a very sick man, and it’s really too soon to tell if the antibiotics are working,” the physician replied, easily reading the disappointment on the group’s faces. “I’m still optimistic this treatment plan will work, but if we don’t start seeing an improvement in the next eight hours, I’ll swap his medication for something else.”

“You’ve seen his records from Germany?” TC asked, eager to encourage the man to be more proactive.

“Yes, and I’m hoping that his improved health will make such an aggressive antibiotic treatment unnecessary, given the uncomfortable side effects,” the doctor replied. Rick and TC winced, easily recalling the extreme nausea that had accompanied Magnum’s last experience with the heavy-duty medication.

“Thanks, doc,” Rick responded. “Alright if we go back in and sit with him?”

The physician nodded. “I’m sure he’d like that. He’s feeling pretty miserable right now, and things will probably get worse before they get better.” He turned to depart, pausing a moment later to add, “Make sure he stays on oxygen; I know he doesn’t like the mask, but he needs it.”

“We’ll make sure it stays on,” TC assured, following the other two into Magnum’s room.

Magnum half-raised his right hand in greeting, not wanting to move his other arm and risk jostling the I.V. He rested limply against a stack of pillows, with the bed raised to a forty-five-degree angle to assist with his breathing. His face was still pale, his eyes bruised with deep shadows, and his skin glowed sickly with sweat. “Hey,” he rasped, coughing a couple times after as the act of speaking irritated his lungs.

“Pretty sure the doc told you not to talk,” TC admonished without heat, coming over to stand next to the bed.

Thomas frowned but remained silent while Rick added. “You’ve danced this dance before, man; give these antibiotics a chance to kick in and then you can talk all you want.”

Magnum drew a deeper breath in preparation to speak, the inhale irritating his throat and lungs and throwing him into a severe coughing jag. As his diaphragm spasmed uncontrollably, Rick supported him with one hand, while the other rubbed soothing circles along his back.

The coughs seemed never-ending, and by the time the fit had ended, Thomas was slumped sideways in Rick’s arms, lacking the energy to hold himself up. Involuntary tears of pain wet his cheeks while his chest felt like it had been flayed open from the inside.

Wright gently pushed him back against the pillows, and Magnum let himself sink back into their comfort, too exhausted to even wipe the moisture from his face. Moments later, a damp cloth completed the task for him, and he could only offer a feeble nod in thanks.

“Hey,” TC said as he temporarily lifted the oxygen mask out of the way. Thomas parted his lips for the straw the pilot held between his fingers and drank a couple small sips of water before the mask was replaced.

“Can’t do this ‘gain,” Magnum gasped, his eyes filled with sorrow and pleading with his friends for salvation.

“What can’t he do again?” Juliet asked softly from the foot of the bed.

“Pneumonia,” Rick replied, the remorse clear in his tone.

“Of course, you can, Thomas,” Calvin replied, recalling with vivid clarity the images of Magnum’s last battle with the illness.

“Can’t,” the investigator croaked out again, shaking his head several times before doubling over with another round of painful-sounding hacking. More tears came unbidden to his eyes as he fought with his rebelling body to control the coughs that continued spilling forth unabated. Each tiny breath preceding each subsequent exhale seemed to be growing smaller and smaller, until he was certain he wasn’t getting any oxygen at all.

Unaware, his upper body sagged into Rick’s hold once more, the man’s grip the only thing keeping him from falling out of bed. One more miniscule wheeze of air made its way into his spasming chest as his world began darkening at the edges.

“Jules, get a nurse!” Rick’s panicked words were the last to penetrate the fog swirling around Magnum’s brain before the darkness took over and he fell blessedly unconscious into his friend’s arms.

To be continued in my day 13 prompt fic...

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to AZGirl for proofing; all remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> This story was based on the day 7 prompt: I've got you: support / carrying / enemy to caretaker
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined!


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